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Website of the Week
Another great movie from the BBC.
Local Pump Price of Unleaded Gasoline:
$3.89/gallon
Price Per Barrel of Oil:
$136.04 (previously $125.96)
last modified Jul 8, 2008 at 22:33
In response to a somewhat error-prone article and ensuing book about Christianity by Michelle Goldberg entitled Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, the holyoffice takes a stab at helping the poor lady out with a layman's guide (tongue planted ever-firmly in cheek) to the core tenets of the Christian faith.
Some gems:
Premillenialism
This is the belief among some Christians that, ever since Jan. 1, 2000, it has no longer been possible, in the words of the Prince song, "to party like it's 1999." Postmillenialists are those Christians who believe that it will always be possible to do so, while Amillenialists believe that in this context, "1999" cannot be understood literally, but must be read as an allegorical term roughly meaning "a time at which it is especially appropriate to party."
The Pope
The Pope is the President of Christianity. He is elected every four years by the Congress of Cardinals, which is divided into the Senate and the Holy House of Representatives. As president, the pope can veto important pieces of legislation, which he tends to do. The pope is also magical, and cannot be seen with the naked eye except for one hour on Christmas Eve every year.
The Protestant Reformation
This is the name historians give to a major labor dispute that erupted in Germany in 1517 when a group of monks hammered a proposed union contract to the door of the pope's house, requesting a 95 percent pay raise. The pope refused to negotiate with the monks union until it agreed to pay to have the door fixed, and the result was the world's longest-running strike. For nearly 500 years, a huge portion of Christians have been on strike from being Catholic, saying they are "justified" in their work stoppage because the pope won't expand the number of indulgences they get per year. Currently, the matter is in arbitration.
It is perhaps strange and a bit inappropriate to say, "Happy Memorial Day!" since it is intended to be a day of solemn observance of those who gave their lives for our country.
I think we tend to forget that this freedom we have comes at a steep price that must be repaid from time to time. Would you lay down your life for the benefit of your neighbor? I think that I would, but to tell you the truth, I selfishly prefer to the be the beneficiary. I am humbled that there are men and women who do not know me yet were and continue to be willing to die for me to live in liberty.
We also forget those who laid down their lives for our spiritual freedom, the martyrs throughout the centuries who died defending the truth and honor of God's word. Let's not forget them, but let's thank God for the grace He gave them to endure their sufferings and the benefits of their sacrifices that we enjoy today.
Here's a little history of Memorial Day from the Department of Veteran Affairs:
Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.
Read more.
The Times-Picayune has endorsed Mitch Landrieu over Ray Nagin for New Orleans mayor.
Mitch Landrieu would bring liabilities of his own to the job. One is his last name. Mr. Landrieu is capable of dealing with the White House and Congress. But Republicans may be less inclined to work with a mayor from the first family of Democratic politics in Louisiana.
Furthermore, Mr. Landrieu's private-sector experience is not extensive. He was not a strong backer of business-friendly bills in the Legislature. And his current supporters include a long line of former patronage beneficiaries. Nothing in his record indicates whether he can keep them from jostling back up to the trough. A pleaser by nature, Mr. Landrieu seems loath to upset anybody. To be a good mayor, he will have to learn how to be the bearer of bad news.
Still, Mr. Landrieu's considerable strengths outweigh his weaknesses. New Orleans needs a mayor with innate political sense and a firm, reassuring manner. Mr. Landrieu is blessed with both. He has a knack for stating the city's urgent case and inspiring others to action.
Uh, is there not a decent Republican candidate in the building? Yet, according to Salon.com, certain civil rights organizations still fear that the difficulty of absentee voting will disenfranchise thousands of voters, that is, thousands of black voters.
Allow me to allay your concerns once and for all, my liberal friends. New Orleans is a lonnnggg way from electing a Republican mayor (what this is really all about.) This is also why New Orleans will have a hard time of it during these next few years of recovery, unless, of course, the new mayor discovers his inner conservative.
From the Salon piece:
Sharing Samuels' concern are civil rights advocates, legal experts and researchers who have tracked Katrina's toll. They warn that not nearly enough has been done to protect against the disenfranchisement of New Orleans residents -- a majority of them African-American and from poorer neighborhoods ravaged by Katrina. Beyond the reliance on absentee ballots and in-state satellite polling stations, critics say the integrity of the election is threatened by serious problems within the city itself, where some polling stations are dilapidated and possibly hazardous, and others are inaccessible to the disabled -- a violation of federal law.
Secretary of State Al Ater (N.B., Mr. Ater, a fellow, former Tensas Parish resident) shrugged off concerns about accommodating displaced residents. "With a 39 cent stamp and by doing it by mail, I don't know how much more accessible you can get," Ater told Salon. More than 17,000 requests for absentee ballots had been received by the Tuesday deadline, according to the Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters office. Of those requests, 70 to 75 percent have come from African-Americans, according to Ater, who reiterated, "No one has been left out of this process."
For those who are faint of heart, please go visit here. In December of 2004, Judicial Watch sued the US government for video that it has held of Flight 77 as it collided with the Pentagon. Today, that video was finally released. One of my preconceptions was that this flight had come from a high altitude and had crashed into the Pentagon, but a close examination of these still shots shows a different story.
Still One.
No sign of Flight 77.
Still Two.
Flight 77 can be seen, but instead of coming out of the sky, it is coming in horizontally with the ground.
Still Three.
In this next frame, Flight 77 hits the Pentagon in a fiery explosion.
In this last picture, I've gone back to the second picture and blown up the spot where Flight 77 enters the picture so that you can see the plane.
Wow. And this is why we fight.
This story is tragic, true, and slightly bizarre.
Tragic in that it involved the death of a 25 year old mother and her 6 month old baby. On Mother's Day.
True, in that, well it's true. It happened about 15 miles away from my lovely town in the town of Ben Lemond.
And bizarre. According to the Texarkana Gazette's report the woman and child were ejected from the car while it was traveling at a high-rate of speed:
[T]he woman, who was killed, was hanging out of the passenger side of the vehicle allegedly trying to hit another vehicle with a baseball bat while the vehicles were traveling at a high rate of speed. (bold-faced emphasis mine)
“This is going to take some time to sort out,” said Arkansas State Police Special Agent Dennis Morris with the criminal investigation division in Hot Springs, who was assigned to the case.
On one side of State Line Street in Texarkana is the state of Arkansas. Here, you may buy beer and wine at convenience stores, package stores, and restaurants. Here, the people are happy, hold hands, and live in peaceful, if slightly inebriated, harmony.
Hot and arid, the air is not the only thing dry on the Texas side. For years, Texans thirsty for Texas-made Shiner Bock have had to drive across State Street to procure the coveted lager in Arkansas.
According to the Texarkana Gazette, on Saturday, May 13th, residents of Texarkana, Texas go to the polls to vote on two controversial referendums. Residents are voting on the sale of beer and wine in convenience stores and on the sale of mixed drinks in restaurants.
Opposing the two referendums is a group called OneArkansas. Their mission is "to unify, equip and mobilize opposition to a ballot measure on May 13th that will expand retail alcohol sales in Texarkana. We stand FOR Texarkana, USA and AGAINST those who would harm our economy and compromise our neighborhoods."
The main arguments against the initiative seem to fall along the NIMBY variety (i.e. Not In My Back Yard): economic and social impact, availability of alcohol to teenagers, etc.
Leading the charge for alcohol sales, the group East Texans United for Better Business argues the absurdity of OneArkansas' position. They contend that allowing alcohol sales on only one side of the state line penalizes the Texas businesses who see markedly fewer customers. Also, restaurants on the Texas side have to pay more to have alcohol driven in from the Arkansas side than they would have to pay if the distribution centers were closer. Texarkana businesses want their fair share of alcohol sales in the twin city.
As a resident of a dry county, I'm looking forward to this vote. Maybe it's the final death knell of prohibition and it's remaining vestiges in the deep South. One can only hope.
UPDATE:
Referendum 1 to allow alc*h*l sales in Texarkana, TX. FAILED
NO 2491 votes 51%
YES 2336 votes 49%
Referendum 2 to allow alc*h*l sales of mixed drinks in restaurants in Texarkana, TX. PASSED
Well, half a beer is better than none. One has to wonder if the business owners on the Arkansas side were not offering inducements to get the Texas voters nice and snookered and away from the voting booths.
It's time for Conservatives to support our man in the White House and to say "enough!" to those kicking a man when he's down. Joining is simple, just put this gif on your site and, voila!, you're a member!
On the way to Hot Springs, AR, in the town of Glenwood:
"Gas prices have risen, and so has Jesus"
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